New Zealand Tax Refund

Income tax refund from New Zealand

The fiscal year in New Zealand runs from the 1st of April to the 31st of March.
All the taxpayers need to file their Individual tax return which includes all the income earned in New Zealand during the fiscal year.

In case you have just arrived or you have income from overseas, you also need to declare your overseas income in your tax return.
If you overpay your tax, you may claim a tax refund from IRD.

The deadline to file your tax return is generally on the first week of July. Interest and penalties may apply to late payment of taxes owed.

Resident or Non-Resident?

You are a resident in if you:

Stay in New Zealand for more than 183 days in any 12 month period and have not become a non-resident. These 183 days do not need to be continuous.

Have a "permanent place of abode" in New Zealand

If you are considered a resident, you are taxed based on your worldwide income. This amount includes your income from New Zealand and all other countries. You must declare your income from abroad in case you receive any while considered a resident in New Zealand.

Tax rates and IRD

All employees are required to have IRD numbers.

An IRD number is a unique number the that Tax Authority uses to identify taxpayers. A person's income standard tax rate is 10,5 to 33%. Please, note that if you do not have your IRD number, a 45% tax rate will be applied.

Here is a table explaining how income tax rates increases in New Zealand:

Income amount

Tax Rate

Up to $14,000

10,5%

Up to $48,000

17,5%

Up to $70,000

30%

Over $70,000

33%

What do we need to claim your tax refund back?

To claim your New Zealand refund you need either your Summary of Earnings (SOE) or your final payslip.

The SOE contains:

All your employers throughout the year

Your total gross income

Any family credit or tax allowance you received

You will receive your SOE by the end of May for the previous financial year. Once you get it, you can apply for your tax refund.

How many years back can I apply for a tax refund?

The IRD requires that you file a tax return for every year that you are eligible. In most cases it is best to act sooner rather than later. If you were owed a refund on any of those prior year tax returns, you can only collect it if you file the return within four years(4) of the original tax deadline.

How long does it take to get the refund?

On average, it takes up to 6 months from the date your documents have been received by the tax authorities. However, the time can vary on case by case basis.

How much is the service fee?

The price is 14% from the refunded amount. There is a minimum fee of 99 NZD.
Price does not include VAT or bank and currency exchange charges!